Discos cheat, shortchange Nigerians, says NUPENG

July 2, 2014 by Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja

Power distribution companies cheat and shortchange Nigerians by issuing high electricity bills despite their persistence in supplying erratic power, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has said.

NUPENG said it was worried and concerned about the high rate of electricity bills passed to consumers by the Discos.

The union’s President, Mr. Achese Igwe, in a statement on Wednesday, said the power firms issue exorbitant electricity bills to consumers who hardly enjoy their services.

He said, “The epileptic power supply nationwide by these new companies call for urgent overhaul of the entire system. The Nigerian electricity consumers are being shortchanged, cheated and embarrassed with fraudulent bills when there is no electricity.

“These fraudulent bills are putting more hardship, especially on the downtrodden who cannot even afford three square meals a day, but now have to cough out monies for electricity that they don’t get.”

NUPENG stated that the exploitative attitude of the new Disco was unjust, oppressive, uncalled for and not in tune with the energy reforms of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Achese said, “We are disturbed that with the huge monies budgeted and expended on power generation and distribution, there is still nothing to write home about, except perpetual darkness in many communities in the nooks and crannies of the country, only to be faced with huge bills.

“NUPENG therefore calls on the National Electricity Regulatory Commission to be alive to its responsibilities by ensuring that the new electricity distribution companies give our citizens light 24 hours of the day and also ensure that prepaid meters are installed to check arbitrary estimated bills.”

He said it was shameful to note that the NERC was concerned with only increase in tariffs, and called on the commission to also enforce better service delivery to electricity consumers in the country.

“The union will join forces with other dissatisfied Nigerians to make sure that these fraudulent bills are stopped because we cannot watch citizens of this country being cheated with no light at high cost,” he said.

Thanks Mr Achese. But the problem I see about this persistence cheating by the EXCOS is that the masses on her own willingly allow themselves to be cheated because they refused to use the available tool which is; the community elders should collectively charge them to court because it is no more NEPA they are profit making organisation which can be sued or sue others, I believe if thisis done they will not continue to cheat again.

Guguru

Nigerians do not even know their rights and their responsibilities. So, they allow grave crimes to be perpetrated on them.

Pissed with the status quo

We have to “occupy” the discos. Last time they brought their useless bill I told them to disconnect the power. It’s the same anyway. Darkness galore. They seemed surprised. These people know its only in nigeria that you can charge people high for services you haven’t rendered. It’s only in nigeria. An example is in the telecoms industry. They smile to the bank with money they don’t deserve to get. All these has to stop.

Omotolaaraujo

They want consumers to subsidize their repair work.

Mary Mary

NERC, discos, gencos are all the same, they share the money at the top, I spend close to 20k monthly to fuel my four generators, 9k to service them including oil. What about the air pollution, transformation agenda my foot. No government in Nigeria.